Three ways to get the work done
Every option answers the same question: who does the marketing each week? With software, you do, with help from the tool. With an agency, the agency does, on its own systems. With managed software, a team does it inside software that stays yours.
| Model | Example | Published price |
|---|---|---|
| Software | Median entry plan across 132 software tools | $29.99 a month |
| Software with a managed tier | Blaze.ai All-In-One | $999 a month |
| Software with a managed tier | Roomvu Lead Magnet | $399.99 a month |
| Agency, fractional CMO | NetWebMedia | $249, $999 or $2,490 a month |
| Agency, local SEO and ads | MCNM Marketing | $997, $1,997 or $3,497 a month |
| Managed, legal marketing | FirmPilot | $4,250, $6,900 or $9,250 a month |
Prices from each vendor's own pages, checked on October 6, 2026. The software median is computed in the pricing report.
When software is the right call
Software suits an owner or a small team that has an hour or two a week for marketing and wants control over what is said. The price gap is large: 66.9% of the starting prices we recorded are $50 a month or less.
The cost is your time. A scheduler only posts what you make. An AI writer drafts, and you still publish. AI marketing platforms such as Blaze.ai, Native and MoFlo make and publish the work, which closes most of the gap, but someone still needs to approve it and answer the messages it brings in.
Software is the wrong call if nobody will log in. A $79 tool that sits unused costs more than a $999 service that runs.
When an agency is the right call
An agency makes sense when you need skills you do not have and will not use often enough to learn: paid ads strategy, a website rebuild, or a launch. Agencies that publish prices are rare. In our research, MCNM Marketing publishes monthly retainers from $997 for local SEO to $3,497 for full-funnel work with paid ads, and one-time projects such as a $497 audit and a $1,500 website build. NetWebMedia publishes $249, $999 and $2,490 a month, with setup on top of the retainer.
The risk with an agency is not the price. It is what you keep when you leave. If the agency owns your ad account, website or tracking numbers, leaving can mean starting again. Our guide to contract red flags covers the questions to ask.
What managed software adds
Managed software is a team running software for you. You get the agency's labor and the software's record: content, settings and history stay in an account you own, so the work survives a change of provider.
Several vendors in our research sell a managed tier above their self-serve plans. Blaze.ai sells All-In-One at a flat $999 a month as a funnel it manages for you. Roomvu's Lead Magnet plan at $399.99 includes a dedicated expert running ads and $2,000 a year of Meta ad spend. FirmPilot sells a managed legal marketing subscription at $4,250 to $9,250 a month and states it uses a flat fee instead of a percentage of ad budget. Superpractice starts at $997 a month for solo attorneys, covering up to $3,000 a month of ad spend.
MoFlo offers a managed option on top of its software. Details are on the MoFlo pricing page.
What a year costs
Monthly prices hide how far apart these options sit. The table puts published prices on a yearly basis. It leaves out ad spend, which is extra with every option that runs ads.
| Option | Monthly | Twelve months |
|---|---|---|
| Median software entry plan | $29.99 | $359.88 |
| MoFlo Business Bundle, four apps | $299 | $3,588 |
| Roomvu Lead Magnet, managed ads included | $399.99 | $4,799.88 |
| Blaze.ai All-In-One, managed funnel | $999 | $11,988 |
| MCNM Marketing Growth SEO and Content | $1,997 | $23,964 |
| FirmPilot Lite, managed legal marketing | $4,250 | $51,000 |
Our arithmetic from each vendor's stated monthly price, before setup fees, add-ons and ad spend.
The gap between software and an agency is usually more than ten times. That gap is the price of someone else's hours. If the hours you would spend on marketing are worth more than the difference, pay for the service. If they are not, or if you enjoy the work, software is the better buy.
How to decide
- Count the hours. If nobody can give marketing two hours a week, rule out software on its own.
- Name the skill gap. If the gap is paid ads or a website, an agency or a managed tier that includes it is worth the premium.
- Check ownership. Whatever you choose, keep your ad accounts, analytics, Business Profile and domain in your business's name.
- Compare the year, not the month. A $999 managed plan is $11,988 a year. A $79 tool plus five hours of your time a month may be cheaper or dearer depending on what your hours are worth.
- Start with the smallest commitment that does the job, then move up when the results justify it.
Keep reading
For the figures behind this guide, see the marketing software pricing report. For how software bills once you have chosen it, read marketing software pricing models. To see software ranked, start with the best AI marketing tools. Side-by-sides with tools that sell managed tiers include MoFlo vs Blaze.ai and MoFlo vs Roomvu. All comparisons are on the comparisons page.
